My volunteer years from 1966 to 1974 with the Oyster Bay East Norwich Youth Council bring to mind the many middle and high school youth I got to know. I remember many brave volunteers of the area who gave countless hours at the Oyster Bay High School, St. Dominic's and the American Legion Hall on South Street next to Hallock's Chevrolet.

Mr. Hallock Sr.'s patience was an example to all as was the leadership of John DeLillo in convincing his fellow veterans to rent the building to the Youth Council.

It was an era of change and the youth rebellion and drug use were very unsettling to most adults. Many were afraid to be involved or let their young people attend. Others seemed to have abandoned their teens to the streets. Rita Weil often had to make 200 calls to get three or four parents to chaparone events. It was changing times and you were in the midst of it. I was urged to pitch in and help by my pastor at St. Paul's United Methodist Church on South Street, Paul Bowles.

It was hard work. We didn't save all of those who chose dangerous paths but we tried our best and hold in our hearts those who had very brief lives to live.

Most of course, went on to be productive adults.

It eventually became hard to attract older youth to organized programs and the board moved to hiring YMCA street workers under Joel Behar's direction.

There were countless people who gave their hearts and time on Friday and Saturday nights, opened their houses for "Rap" groups and business meetings and used their cars and trucks for the paper drives which were the main ways of raising funds, other than small dues from the youth, and a journal and fund raiser once a year.

Al Ludlam and his son were among the many who gave one Sunday afternoon a month to collect the newspapers from curbs in East Norwich and Oyster Bay. Even Richard C. Storrs drove one of the trucks. (Not to mention the thousands of people who saved and bound their newspapers weekly.)

Then John Read Taylor of the North Shore Community Association gave us some matching funds and George Morrison and I wrote a fund raising letter to the local community. Frinny Storrs had recently joined the board and with her vast experience in fund raising took it to the wider community where it grew into the drive that we know today.

The outstanding job she has done including her "miraculous" cheerleading over the years has been inspiring. The names from the '60s I hold in my mind are the founders: Marge Delaney, Muriel Taylor and her sister Mel Janoff, the Rev. James Moffitt, Jesse Harmon and Rita Weil behind the scenes.

Armida Moore, Paul Gildersleeve, Bessie Gunther, Bill Reid, Emily Dupre, Kate Aylward, Flo and Thad Sherrod and Mary Garrison and many others were willing to help on the front lines. Sister Adrian, the Rev. Allan Carvehlo, Toby Kennedy, Bea Hollander, Virginia Rothschild, Florence Dutko served on the board with Dr. Ed Einhorn and Joel Annis who pioneered the Youth Employment Service.

Len (Linwood) Bulluck from Youth and Family Counseling Agency lent advice as did the Town of Oyster Bay Youth Board representatives.

It was a very broad representation of all the segments of the community that came together for their youth in those days - despite the naysayers. Our village can be proud of all the varied efforts over the years led by a few skilled elders, the parents and volunteers and the youth themselves to meet their needs.

Now it is culminating in the wonderful Boys and Girls Club building and the current leadership which is a sign to all of a caring community.

Now there are new volunteer opportunities. Get involved: you will be happy to be contributing to the next generation of young people at the Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich.